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WORKOUT - SHOULDERS
Superset 1: DB Front Lateral Raises, Standing Arnold Presses
Superset 2: DB Rear Raises, Side DB Raises
Superset 3: Dip Bar Shrugs (awesome!), Twisting DB Presses
Total Time => 48:30
Comments:
Used just about the perfect amount of weight today for each exercise. Very pleased!
To top things off, I did 9 quick minutes of some light cardio...3 minutes of jogging, 3 minutes of jumping rope, and 3 minutes on the bike.
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
For breakfast this morning (post workout), I made up an omelet of one egg, two egg whites, peppers, onions, Italian sausage, an ounce or so of raw milk cheddar cheese and some tomato sauce. Pizza omelet! To get the carb load up, I had a handful of grapes and a cup or so of oatgurt with almond butter. I was definitely satisfied and good to go for our meeting!
On our lunch break, we came home and I fired up the blender for a Green Monster! Suh-weet!
- 1/2 frozen banna
- 1 C frozen strawberries
- 1 C water
- 1T coconut milk (full fat!)
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- dash of stevia
This monster was so thick I burnt up the motor on the blender! Yep, had to pitch it in the trash. Yikes!
After our meeting was over it was dinner time I had another big salad with all the usual trimings of peppers, scallions, carrots, tomato, celery, parsley and cilantro. Tonight I added half an avocado, squeezed on some lime juice and was good to go! For dessert I had a coconut milk protein smoothie with vanilla, almonds, and a little stevia mixed it. Perfectly refreshing!
It was a full day so I hit the rack without snacking and passed out!
It was the second "off day" with no weights today. I was up at 4:30 and ready to hit the cardio again to stretch the legs and lungs.
WORKOUT - CARDIO (HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING)
Here was today's intervals:
- Bike, Intensity 1 (warm up), 5:00
- Jump Rope, Intensity 2, 3:00
- Jog, Intensity 2, 5:00
- Sprint (all out!), Intensity 3, 30 seconds
- Jog, Intensity 2, 4:00
- Bike, Intensity 2, 2:00 ±
- Jump Rope, Intensity 2, 3:00
- Sprint, Intensity 3, 30 seconds
- Jog/Walk (cool down), Intensity 1, 5:00
Total Time => 31:30 ±
Comments:
Shoulders and chest feeling a little tight today.
Legs and booty still a little sore.
Abs were finally calmed down.
Much more comfortable on the interval times today.
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Breakfast was a beast of an omelet consisting of one egg, two egg whites, fresh salsa, homemade Italian sausage (recipe here), green and red peppers, and raw milk cheddar cheese. I topped it with a few shakes of the Louisiana hot sauce, too, of course. Sound familiar? It should since this was yesterday's breakfast of choice, too. What can I say? I'm a creature of habit. Hence my staple morning snack of...
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
Lunch was homemade tuna salad wrapped in a collard green leaf "bread". Along side the tuna was another blended zuke salad. Yes...same as yesterday. Remember what I said about being a creature of habit??
My afternoon snack consisted of 2 hardboiled egg whites and one yolk along with my usual raw nut combination of walnuts, cashews, and almonds.
For dinner, I had a big 'ol salad with spinach and lots of veggies including carrots, tomato, celery, peppers and scallions all topped off with the last of some leftover chicken. I used some of Drew's All Natural Romano Caesar as a dressing.
As a snack before bed, I had a 1/2 cup of lowfat cottage cheese.
Tomorrow it's back to the weights!
WORKOUT - CARDIO (HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING)
My lungs felt remarkably better today than last week. I think the light cardio right after my weight workouts helped this week.
Here was today's intervals:
- Bike, Intensity 1 (warm up), 5:00
- Jump Rope, Intensity 2, 3:45 ± (about 300 revolutions)
- Jog, Intensity 2, 5:45 ±
- Sprint (all out!), Intensity 3, 30 seconds
- Jog, Intensity 2, 4:30
- Bike, Intensity 2, 2:00 ±
- Jump Rope, Intensity 2, 3:30 ± (300 revolutions...faster this time!)
- Sprint, Intensity 3, 30 seconds
- Jog/Walk (cool down), Intensity 1, 5:00
Total Time => 32:37
Comments:
Shoulders and chest feeling a little tight today.
Legs and booty still a little sore.
Abs were finally calmed down.
Good timing on the intervals this week.
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Breakfast was a beast of an omelet consisting of one egg, two egg whites, fresh salsa, homemade Italian sausage (recipe here), green and red peppers, and raw milk cheddar cheese. I topped it with a few shakes of the Louisiana hot sauce, too, of course.
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
Lunch was homemade tuna salad wrapped in a collard green leaf "bread". Along side the tuna was another blended zuke salad. I'm addicted!
Mid-afternoon snack was 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and about 4 tsp of ground flax seed.
For dinner, I stir-fried up some chicken, broccoli, onion, lima beans, and mixed veggies in a sauce of coconut oil, garlic, hot mustard, and Bragg's liquid aminos.
Tomorrow morning brings a repeat of today's cardio workout then it's back to the weights on Day 15. I'll be ready for the iron again by then but the Week 3 workouts get way intense. Stay tuned!
WORKOUT - CHEST/ABS
2 supersets of the Day 5 workout were chest related, followed by a superset of abs work
Superset 1: Incline DB Flye, Incline Push Ups (used 2 chairs and ladder)
Superset 2: DB Pullovers, Dips - Chest version (I had to do some assisted reps here...phew!)
Superset 3: Mountain Climbers w/ ankle weights, Hanging knee raises
Total Time => 39:33
Comments:
Legs and booty were still feeling the pain! More therapeutic seat warmers required! :)
This week was definitely more challenging than Week 1 with the added set per exercise.
I felt like I did a good job of keeping strict form, even on the last set when my muscles were pretty well exhausted.
My weight choices were very good this week.
As I said last week, pre-setting the weights for each exercise was critical to not exceeding rest periods. Paying attention at the start definitely kept the workout flowing. This will be extremely important next week when the rest periods drop dramatically.
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Breakfast (post-workout) kicked off with about 1 cup of oatgurt. Into the oatgurt base went a peeled and chopped mango and a big spoonful of TJ's raw almond butter. Outstanding combination! The mango was very sweet and juicy, too. To finish things off, I blended up a toffee protein smoothie of almond milk, some chilled coffee, a frozen banana, espresso flavored whey protein isolate, and some peanuts. I think I might've shed a tear when I got to the bottom of the glass. Yeah, it was that good!
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
For lunch, I thought I might go out and get something but instead I went with the wasabi salmon left over from yesterday. The salmon got rolled up in some collard leaves with some extra green and red pepper strips for some added crunch and flavor.
Mid-afternoon snack was 2 hard boiled egg whites and one yolk along with a handful of raw nut mix (cashews, almonds, walnuts).
For dinner we finished off the shrimp from Sunday and made another batch of almond shrimp lettuce wraps. Such a light but satisfying dinner!
As a snack before bed it's going to be a 1/2 cup of lowfat cottage cheese...just enough to keep the muscles fed overnight and fuel an interval cardio workout in the morning!
See you then!
WORKOUT - BACK (JACK)
All 3 supersets of the Day 4, Week 2 workout were focused on the back. Very cool, man!
Superset 1: Hanging Row, Pull Ups (Assisted)
Superset 2: Twisting DB Row, Wide Arm Lat Pull Down
Superset 3: Wide Arm Cable Row, Close Grip Lat Pull Down
Total Time => 41:17
Comments:
I did better at pre-setting the weights but need to watch my rest periods closer. Too much wasted time!
Weights used were more in line with what I needed this week.
Legs and booty were sore, sore, sore! Seat warmers were employed again! :~)
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Breakfast (post-workout) kicked off with a little creation I'll call apple-cinnamon oatgurt. Into the oatgurt base went a chopped up apple, tons of cinnamon (duh), almond butter and a little bit of agave syrup. It was eye brow raising good! In addition, I had one egg and two egg whites scrambled up with more of that homemade salsa goodness, green and red peppers, and my homemade Italian sausage. Phew! What a meal!
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
For lunch, I brought back a good friend, wasabi salmon. Wass-dat-be, you ask? Salmon mixed up with some yogurt, wasabi powder, ginger, and chopped celery and peppers. Another great summer lunch. The salmon got rolled up in some collard leaves with some extra green and red pepper strips for some added crunch and flavor.
My afternoon snack was a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with some white chia seeds mixed in.
Dinner, like lunch, came in front of the computer. Let's replay lunch from yesterday, shall we? I had a grass-fed beef burger wrapped in collard green leaves along with a blended zucchini salad. The recipe is here and has quickly become a favorite. Very refreshing during the hot summer months!
Since I'm all about piling on the suffering, not only was today Monday, it also was leg day. Day 3 of Week 2 of Jeff Anderson's Optimum Anabolics Program.
WORKOUT - LEGS, LEGS, FOLLOWED BY LEGS
All 3 supersets of the Day 3, Week 2 workout were leg related. Killer!
Superset 1: Forward DB Lunge , Backward DB Lunge
Superset 2: Standing Calf Negatives, Barbell Squats (AFTER lunges? Yep!)
Superset 3: Donkey Calf Raises, Dead Lifts (AFTER squats?? Yep!)
Total Time => 40:29
Comments:
Shoulders still sore today from Sunday. Good workout!
Arms were a little sore this week. Better but still need to work on that.
Abs were not as sore this go around. Those crunches kick butt, but I think my body is warming up to them.
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Breakfast (post-workout) kicked off with about 1 cup of oatgurt. Into the oatgurt base went a peeled and chopped mango. Outstanding combination! The mango was very sweet. To finish things off, I blended up a toffee protein smoothie of almond milk, some chilled coffee, a frozen banana, espresso flavored whey protein isolate, and some peanuts. Son of a (fill-in-the-blank)! Best smoothie I've ever made!
A fine looking mango and some oatgurt in waiting...
Here is the blessed toffee smoothie...
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
Lunch was a grass-fed beef burger wrapped in collard green leaves along with a blended zucchini salad. What's that you say? A blended salad? The recipe is here
Mid-afternoon snack was 2 hard boiled egg whites and one yolk along with a handful of raw nut mix (cashews, almonds, walnuts).
For dinner I went back to my stir-fry stand by....such a good meal. I steamed up broccoli, green beans from my sister's garden, and some mixed veggies. When those were ready they got mixed into a sauce of coconut oil, tamari, garlic, and hot mustard. For protein, some leftover chicken was thrown into the mix as well.
Pre-bed snack was...hang on to your seat...a half-cup of cottage cheese. Exciting, huh? (~:
See you tomorrow!
WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS
The Day 9 workout was a repeat of Day 2 and included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work. One set was added to each superset exercise.
Superset 1: DB Concentration Curl, Twisting DB Kickbacks
Superset 2: Close Grip Chin Up (assisted), Dips (tricep version)
Superset 3: Bent Leg Crunch (with towel roll under back), Ball Roll Outs
Total Time => 50:08
Comments:
Shoulders sore but not killing me today.
My arms were hit pretty good today. Next week I'll be upping the weight, tho. Could've done better.
Doing crunches with the towel and correct form totally burnt my abs again! That slow negative is a killer, dude!!
DIET - HIGH PROTEINMy post-workout meal today was *crazy good* people! Remember that fresh sausage I mixed up last night? Yeah, that got browned up and tossed into some scrambled eggs with a touch of buttermilk and half a boat-load of fresh salsa. To cool the eggs down (haha), I sprinkled some Louisiana (pronounced "Loo-zee-anna") Hot Sauce over the top. Before knocking back a couple of the oaty cakes, I munched on an apple and some grapes that were unbelievable sweet tasting. I'll be the first to say that organic produce definitely is better tasting than conventional. Anyone care to challenge me on that??
Here are the oaty cake ingredients...
Here's a pic of breakfast all put together...
When we got back from running some errands, lunch was in order. I chopped up another salad like yesterday's and munched away.
Later on, Christina and I put together some almond shrimp lettuce wraps for dinner. What a great summer recipe! One of these days I'll get a picture of it. The recipe is from the book Ultra-Metabolism by Dr. Mark Hyman. If you even think you MIGHT have a food sensitivity or allergy, you owe it to yourself to check him out. His books and programs are incredible!
Day 8 meant it was time to go back to the weights.
WORKOUT - SHOULDERS
Superset 1: DB Front Lateral Raises, Standing Arnold Presses
Superset 2: DB Rear Raises, Side DB Raises
Superset 3: Dip Bar Shrugs (awesome!), Twisting DB Presses
Total Time => 48:30
Comments:
The workouts this week increased by 1 set which is why the time increased. Rest time between supersets was shortened, however.
Used just about the perfect amount of weight today for each exercise. Very pleased!
To top things off, I did 9 quick minutes of some light cardio...3 minutes of jogging, 3 minutes of jumping rope, and 3 minutes on the bike. Why 9 minutes? It's important to keep your work time under an hour. Growth hormone levels (for muscle building AND fat burning) start to fall off a cliff after about 60 minutes. Don't want to turn the GH faucet off!
DIET - HIGH PROTEINPost-workout I heated up a grass-fed beef burger and topped it with the last of the goat cheese. Yeah, I know, a burger for breakfast? So good, though! On the side was the last piece of sour oat bread from the inaugural batch with a scoop of almond butter for topping.
To replenish the muscle glycogen, I carbed up with a kiwi and an orange followed by some oat cakes topped with a banana, maple syrup, and, of course, some butter. This breakfast had some staying power! It held me for a solid 5 hours! Not many meals I make accomplish that!
After the errand running, lunch was calling. I put together a BIG salad of multiple types of lettuces, green and red peppers, green onions, and an avocado dressing I whipped up. The dressing had a whole avocado, 1 ts EVOO, 1 ts flax oil, 1 T of almond butter, turmeric, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, lime juice, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Deliciousness!
And here it is...
Once dinner time rolled around, it was stir-fry time. On this plate are 2 different types of green beans, broccoli, and mixed veggies all in Scott's special sauce. :) The sauce would be soy sauce, mustard sauce, dijon mustard, garlic, and coconut oil along with a splash of red wine and apple cider vinegar. Once it reduces, it's almost BBQ-y (is that a word??).
Between the salad and the stir fry, I'd say I got my green veggie servings in for the day, huh? (:
See you tomorrow for arms!
When following a specific program, it's important to track your progress as you go along. No sense it spending week after week busting your butt to find out your body is much the same as before you got fired up to hit the gym and eat well.
The Optimum Anabolics Program keeps a 5 day weight routine followed by 2 off days (cardio optional). Taking measurements before the next 5 day weight cycle seemed like as good a time as any to check in.
Reviewing your numbers (plus your workout and diet compliance) for the week let you know if you need to make changes or just keep plugging along for the next 7 days.
Here are my stats as of Day 7:
Weight: 179.5 LBS
BF: 8.1% (according to the calipers I have)
Neck: 15-1/2"
Chest: 39-1/2"
Shoulders: 47-1/2"
Biceps: 13-1/2"
Waist: 33"
Thighs: 19-3/4"
Calves: 15"
Adonis Effect: 1.439
This is my first set of numbers since starting Optimum Anabolics because I'm quite certain my body was a swollen mess after a week long vacation. I'm starting to see some definition return and hope that trend continues as I work through Week 2.
Week 2 brings some extra sets in the weight room with decreased rest periods. Nutritionally, I'm going to keep things about the same in terms of calories but the quality of my grub should go up this week. Vacation foods are pretty well bye-bye and there are no ball games to attend this week so I should have no problems keeping the diet tight. I'd like to see those veins around my waistline return ;-)
WORKOUT - CARDIO (HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING)
It was another day away from the weights today. Muscles resting and building as we speak. (~:
Here was today's intervals:
- Bike, Intensity 1 (warm up), 5:00
- Jump Rope, Intensity 2, 3:15 ± (about 300 revolutions...a little faster today)
- Jog, Intensity 2, 4:45 ±
- Sprint (all out!), Intensity 3, 30 seconds
- Jog, Intensity 2, 3:00
- Bike, Intensity 2, 4:00 ±
- Jump Rope, Intensity 2, 3:15 ± (300 revolutions)
- Sprint, Intensity 3, 30 seconds
- Jog/Walk (cool down), Intensity 1, 7:13-ish (I lightly jogged for 5:00)
Total Time => 31:28
Comments:
Shoulders and chest still a little tight today.
Feet and calves are sore from the absence of cardio for a couple of weeks. Some stretching tomorrow should help that.
My interval times today were much more per the pre-determined schedule. I extended things out a bit at the end just to walk a bit.
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Today was a good nutritional day!
For breakfast, I started off with some veggies sauteed up with a whole egg, 2 eggs whites, and an ounce of goat cheese. On the side is a piece of sour oat bread and a little butter. Yeah, I totally wound up covering that piece with the good stuff! (`;
I followed up the eggs and veggies with an orange and kiwi. That preceded this combo of ingredients:
I called this bad boy a toffee smoothie. Friggin' fantastic bolt of energy out of this one!
If you're wondering, yes, that is espresso flavored whey and it is AWESOME(!!) except for the fact that it's loaded with chemicals and artificial sweeteners. Once it's gone, it's gone. Poisoning the body = bad idea.
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
Lunch was grass-fed beef burgers wrapped in 2 collard green leaf "buns" with goat cheese. On the side I had a nice plateful of blanched green beans from our local farmers market. I sprinkled them with a bit of salt and man were they tasty. You can't beat this time of year in Ohio for all the fresh produce to be had!
Mid-afternoon snack was 2 hard boiled egg whites and one yolk along with a handful of raw nut mix (cashews, almonds, walnuts).
For dinner it was Green Monster time again!- 1/2 banana frozen
- 1/2 C strawberries frozen
- 1 tsp Carlsons lemon flavored fish oil
- Couple handfuls of fresh organic spinach
- 1 C water
I left the whey isolate out tonight and ate about 4 oz of chicken instead. I was pretty hungry since I got home later than usual this evening. The chicken gave the belly a little extra to do. (:
No pre-bed snack tonight. Took my usual supplements of BCAA's and L-arginine alpha-ketoglutarate then it was off to bed.
The weights return to the program tomorrow! After a couple days off, I'm looking forward to it!
We are getting a new roof as I type, though, thanks to 2 hurricane force windstorms last fall and spring. Crazy Ohio weather!
I'm really glad I got my cardio workout in this morning since there's roofing debris EVERYWHERE around our house right now. It didn't hurt that it was a gorgeous 57* outside this morning and the moon was so bright I thought one of the condos behind us had left a flood light on! Can't ask for much more than that in August! WORKOUT - CARDIO (HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING)
It was great to get the legs and lungs pumping again today. My lungs definitely felt the 2 week layoff, however. No worries, though, because I plan to fit in a few more cardio days right after my weight workouts. I have been missing my longer runs, too, but those will have to wait for a bit.
Here was today's intervals:
- Bike, Intensity 1 (warm up), 5:00
- Jump Rope, Intensity 2, 3:45 ± (about 300 revolutions)
- Jog, Intensity 2, 5:45 ±
- Sprint (all out!), Intensity 3, 30 seconds
- Jog, Intensity 2, 4:30
- Bike, Intensity 2, 2:00 ±
- Jump Rope, Intensity 2, 3:30 ± (300 revolutions...faster this time!)
- Sprint, Intensity 3, 30 seconds
- Jog/Walk (cool down), Intensity 1, 5:00
Total Time => 32:37 (29:00 should've been the stopping point)
Comments:
Shoulders and chest feeling a little tight today.
Legs and booty still a little sore.
Abs were finally calmed down.
My interval times today did not go at all as scheduled. Pretty much, I overestimated how far I could ride or jog in the time allotted. Adjustments will be made tomorrow!
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Again, I'm still eating some vacation foods by my diet was pretty solid today. I noticed I was a little hungry this PM so that means I'm getting a little fat burning going on. That's good!
For breakfast, I finished off the last of the kiszka (the horror!) with tomatoes and ketchup. I FINALLY got to have a piece of the raw cornbread that had been "non-cooking" in the oven the past few days. Good stuff!! For dessert it was a cut up nectarine and apple. Wow that was a good combination!
Here's the raw cornbread before "un-baking"...
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
Lunch was homemade chicken salad wrapped in a collard green leaf "tortilla". I also ate up some cut up green and red peppers and carrots. It's not been mentioned yet, but lunch typically ends with 4-6 oz of kombucha. It's totally refreshing and as a bonus, it knocks out any sweet cravings I might have (which is all the time after a meal !).
Mid-afternoon snack was 2 hard boiled egg whites and one yolk along with a handful of raw nut mix (cashews, almonds, walnuts).
For dinner it was Green Monster time again!- 1/2 banana frozen
- 1/2 C strawberries frozen
- 1 tsp Carlsons lemon flavored fish oil
- Couple handfuls of fresh organic spinach
- 1 C water
- 1 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder
Tonight's was super fluffy and delicious!! I might have had a few walnuts for dessert, too. (~:
As a snack before bed, I'll probably go with a 1/2 cup of lowfat cottage cheese again. Good stuff!
The morning brings a repeat of today's cardio workout then it's back to the weights on Day 8. I'll be ready for the iron again by then!
The roof, the roof...the roof is on....ok, it's not on fire, but I couldn't resist. (~:
We are getting a new roof as I type, though, thanks to 2 hurricane force windstorms last fall and spring. Crazy Ohio weather!
I'm really glad I got my cardio workout in this morning since there's roofing debris EVERYWHERE around our house right now. It didn't hurt that it was a gorgeous 57* outside this morning and the moon was so bright I thought one of the condos behind us had left a flood light on! Can't ask for much more than that in August! WORKOUT - CARDIO (HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING)
It was great to get the legs and lungs pumping again today. My lungs definitely felt the 2 week layoff, however. No worries, though, because I plan to fit in a few more cardio days right after my weight workouts. I have been missing my longer runs, too, but those will have to wait for a bit.
Here was today's intervals:
- Bike, Intensity 1 (warm up), 5:00
- Jump Rope, Intensity 2, 3:45 ± (about 300 revolutions)
- Jog, Intensity 2, 5:45 ±
- Sprint (all out!), Intensity 3, 30 seconds
- Jog, Intensity 2, 4:30
- Bike, Intensity 2, 2:00 ±
- Jump Rope, Intensity 2, 3:30 ± (300 revolutions...faster this time!)
- Sprint, Intensity 3, 30 seconds
- Jog/Walk (cool down), Intensity 1, 5:00
Total Time => 32:37 (29:00 should've been the stopping point)
Comments:
Shoulders and chest feeling a little tight today.
Legs and booty still a little sore.
Abs were finally calmed down.
My interval times today did not go at all as scheduled. Pretty much, I overestimated how far I could ride or jog in the time allotted. Adjustments will be made tomorrow!
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Again, I'm still eating some vacation foods by my diet was pretty solid today. I noticed I was a little hungry this PM so that means I'm getting a little fat burning going on. That's good!
For breakfast, I finished off the last of the kiszka (the horror!) with tomatoes and ketchup. I FINALLY got to have a piece of the raw cornbread that had been "non-cooking" in the oven the past few days. Good stuff!! For dessert it was a cut up nectarine and apple. Wow that was a good combination!
Here's the raw cornbread before "un-baking"...
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
Lunch was homemade chicken salad wrapped in a collard green leaf "tortilla". I also ate up some cut up green and red peppers and carrots. It's not been mentioned yet, but lunch typically ends with 4-6 oz of kombucha. It's totally refreshing and as a bonus, it knocks out any sweet cravings I might have (which is all the time after a meal !).
Mid-afternoon snack was 2 hard boiled egg whites and one yolk along with a handful of raw nut mix (cashews, almonds, walnuts).
For dinner it was Green Monster time again!- 1/2 banana frozen
- 1/2 C strawberries frozen
- 1 tsp Carlsons lemon flavored fish oil
- Couple handfuls of fresh organic spinach
- 1 C water
- 1 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder
Tonight's was super fluffy and delicious!! I might have had a few walnuts for dessert, too. (~:
As a snack before bed, I'll probably go with a 1/2 cup of lowfat cottage cheese again. Good stuff!
The morning brings a repeat of today's cardio workout then it's back to the weights on Day 8. I'll be ready for the iron again by then!
WORKOUT - CHEST/ABS
2 supersets of the Day 5 workout were chest related, followed by a superset of abs work
Superset 1: Incline DB Flye, Incline Push Ups (I got creative and used 2 chairs and ladder!)
Superset 2: DB Pullovers, Dips - Chest version (I had to do some assisted reps here...phew!)
Superset 3: Mountain Climbers w/ ankle weights, Hanging knee raises
Total Time => 39:33
Comments:
Felt enormous all day! My shirt was rubbing in the right places. (~:
Legs and booty were sore but not as bad as expected.
Still feeling those abs!
All-in-all it was a good first week. I had to learn a few new exercises and figure out the best weight to use on a few others.
I felt like I did a good job of using strict form. Occasionally this meant lowering the amount I was lifting to make that happen.
Lastly, pre-setting the weights for each exercise is critical to not exceeding rest periods. This will become even more important in the upcoming weeks.
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
I'm still eating some vacation foods by my diet was pretty solid today...stuck right to the plan I had laid out.
Breakfast should be pretty familiar by now...a post-workout feast of kiszka (a Polish sausage), tomatoes, a nectarine and a kiwi. No pancakes today, though. It was sour oat bread and butter along with the sausage. Friggin' addictive!
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
Lunch was a grass-fed beef burger, home made pico de gallo salsa, and an ounce of goat cheese wrapped in a collard green leaf "tortilla". I also ate up some cut up green and red peppers and carrots. Wow, that's a good lunch, huh?!?
Mid-afternoon snack was 2 hard boiled egg whites and one yolk along with a handful of Trader Joes raw nut mix (cashews, almonds, walnuts, raisins).
For dinner it was Green Monster time once again! Are you seeing a trend here?
- 1/2 banana frozen
- 1/2 C strawberries frozen
- 1 tsp Carlsons lemon flavored fish oil
- Couple handfuls of fresh organic spinach
- 1 C water
- 1 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder
As a snack before bed it's going to be a 1/2 cup of lowfat cottage cheese...just enough to keep the muscles fed overnight and fuel an interval cardio workout in the morning!
I'm looking forward to a little cardio, believe it or not! It's been almost 2 weeks! Lace 'em up!
To help ease the pain of a Monday after vacation, one of the companies that supplies stone to the construction company I work for took us to a "business man's special" today. An afternoon at the ballyard. Fantastic!
Muscle building foods? Uh, no, not so much. I had a couple beers, too, but, hey, it was a ball game and someone else was buying!
WORKOUT - BACK (JACK)
All 3 supersets of the Day 4 workout were focused on the back. Very cool, man!
Superset 1: Hanging Row, Pull Ups (Assisted)
Superset 2: Twisting DB Row, Wide Arm Lat Pull Down
Superset 3: Wide Arm Cable Row, Close Grip Lat Pull Down
Total Time => 41:17
Comments:
I need to make sure I pre-set exercises better for this workout. Too much wasted time!
Weights used will be bumped up next time
Legs and booty were sore but not as bad as expected.
Still feeling those abs!
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
I switched things up a little for breakfast today. I cranked out some scrambled eggs with salsa and had some butter with sour oat bread on the side. :~)
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
For lunch, we hit up the concession stand before it was time to "Play Ball!". I had a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy brewski and a chicken tenders basket with fries. Of course I had to have some BBQ sauce for dipping the tenders and ketchup for the fries. The horror! Not a lot of good options at the ballpark...at least not yet.
Mid-afternoon snack was a few handfuls of peanuts in the shell around the 6th or 7th inning of the game.
For dinner it was Green Monster time and boy did I need it!
- 1/2 banana frozen
- 1/2 C strawberries frozen
- 1 tsp Carlsons lemon flavored fish oil
- Couple handfuls of fresh organic spinach
- 1 C water
- 1 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder
Tonight's was super cold which felt good after being in the sun earlier at the stadium.
No snack tonight...just my supplements of L-arginine and branch chain aminos (BCAA's). A good place to get quality supplements is here.
See you tomorrow for the last weight day of the week!
This Monday meant it was back to work after a week-long vacation. The 4:30 a.m. alarm came too quickly this morning mostly because I did not sleep well. Not good since a formidable leg workout was in store 1st thing. Yeah, my weekday workouts typically begin with a warm up around 4:45 a.m.
Here we go!
WORKOUT - LEGS, LEGS, FOLLOWED BY LEGS
All 3 supersets of the Day 3 workout were leg related. Killer!
Superset 1: Forward DB Lunge , Backward DB Lunge
Superset 2: Standing Calf Negatives, Barbell Squats (AFTER lunges? Yep!)
Superset 3: Donkey Calf Raises, Dead Lifts (AFTER squats?? Yep!)
Total Time => 40:29
Comments:
Shoulders still sore today from Sunday. Good workout!
Arms were not sore at all really. Need to work on that.
Abs were sore, sore, sore. Those crunches kick butt, I tell ya!
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Diet vacation took a vacation today. :~) I felt tremendously better, too.
Breakfast should remind you of lunch the past two days...a post-workout feast of kiszka (a Polish sausage), tomatoes, sour oat bread, some fruit. No pancakes today, though. :~(
Mid-morning snack was a 1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 T of ground flax seeds, and 1/3 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder.
Lunch was chicken salad wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves along with some cut up green and red peppers, cukes, and carrots. Wow, that's a good lunch, huh?!?
Mid-afternoon snack was 2 hard boiled egg whites and one yolk along with a handful of Trader Joes raw nut mix (cashews, almonds, walnuts, raisins).
For dinner it was Green Monster time. I messed with the recipe tonight a little, tho...
- 1/2 banana frozen
- 1/2 C strawberries frozen
- 1 tsp Carlsons lemon flavored fish oil
- Couple handfuls of fresh organic spinach
- 1 C water
- 1 scoop plain whey protein isolate powder
Notice I cut down on some of the carbs but the Monster still came out nice and thick. Just like I like it on a warm summer day!
As a snack before bed I had 1/2 a scoop of plain whey protein isolate powder in some water...just enough to keep the muscles fed overnight. Will that help with any soreness? I hope so but we'll see!
Here it is, Sunday. Meh. This particular Sunday was mentally tough since the post-vacation work week lies ahead. A good part of the day was spent in preparation for the new week to come...meal planning, grocery shopping, laundry, paying bills, etc. Exciting stuff! (~:
WORKOUT - ARMS/ABS
The Day 2 workout included 2 supersets of arms followed by a superset of ab work.
Superset 1: DB Concentration Curl, Twisting DB Kickbacks
Superset 2: Close Grip Chin Up (assisted), Dips (tricep version)
Superset 3: Bent Leg Crunch (with towel roll under back), Ball Roll Outs
Total Time => 41:26
Comments:
Shoulders sore but not killing me today.
My arms were popping after that workout!
Doing crunches with the towel and correct form totally burnt my abs. I could only get 6 reps on the last set.
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Vacation mode continues so my diet was not stellar again today. I know it'll be all good in the next few days so not to worry!
I did get things started right again today with another Green Monster. I love these drinks but man, they make me and "the little boys room" good friends! TMI? Sorry 'bout that... (:
- 1 C Almond Milk
- 1 banana frozen
- 1/2 C blueberries
- 4 tsp white chia seeds
- Couple handfuls of fresh organic spinach (the green in the monster!)
Lunch was (again) a post-workout feast of kiszka (a Polish sausage), tomatoes, sour oat bread, some fruit, and my favorite...pancakes with maple syrup and loads of butter! Yum!
It felt like a beer kinda night so dinner started off with a Magic Hat Brewery Pale Ale. Hit the spot! While sipping on the brewski, I prepped and cooked our dinner which consisted of sliced sweet potatoes and onions drizzled with olive oil and baked. That was topped with fresh asparagus and wild caught mahi-mahi. Rosemary, garlic, mustard, and lemon juice served as a dressing for the fish. The whole thing went back into the oven and baked up in about 15 minutes. Seriously, this dish is now one of our favorites!
Then it was ice cream time! I loaded up a bowl and topped it with many layers of nuts and almond butter. Outstanding! It was so good last night, I had to do it again! :-)
Hello there again, fans! My blogging hiatus has ended! Additionally, the Wife and I are back from a 5-day bed & breakfast vacation up at Lake Erie.
You know what that means? Time to get back after it! Ok, perhaps we'll just ease into it...
Over the course of the next 24 weeks (maybe more??), I'll be reviewing and tracking my progress as I follow Jeff Anderson's (aka The Muscle Nerd) build and burn workout routine known as Optimum Anabolics. The added bonus should be that I am focused and accountable as I go along. I'm going to need that since The Muscle Nerd's first program provides some interesting challenges.
The week or so before our vacation, I took the time to read through the manual and found it to be quite thorough. Jeff really gets into detail on everything from hormones, to exercise frequency and rest periods, to diet and supplementation. I won't be giving away any of the secrets but hopefully you'll get the feel for how this program keeps you on your toes both at the gym (home gym for me!) and in the kitchen. While we were on vacation, I spent some time putting together my personalized diet and exercise regimens that I would be following for the next few weeks. Optimum Anabolics takes you step by step through this process. Very, very simple! The rest, the implementation, is up to you!
WORKOUT - SHOULDERS
Superset 1: DB Front Lateral Raises, Standing Arnold Presses
Superset 2: DB Rear Raises, Side DB Raises
Superset 3: Dip Bar Shrugs (awesome!), Twisting DB Presses
Total Time => 41:00
Comments: My shoulders have never been worked over like that!
DIET - HIGH PROTEIN
Admittedly, I'm still in vacation mode in this category. I have my meal plan all set for the week so I'll be tapering back on the "vacation food" as I go along (hopefully). For me, this is butter with pancakes (yes you read that right!), pizza, ice cream, and alcohol...not necessarily in that order.
I did get things started right today with what's known in the blog world as a Green Monster. Cram all the ingredients you see below into a blender, crank it up, pour it out, and enjoy!
- 1 C Almond Milk
- 1 banana (frozen...there is no other way!)
- 1/2 C blueberries
- 4 tsp chia seeds (ground flax seed is also outstanding)
- Couple handfuls of fresh organic spinach (the green in the monster!)
Lunch was a post-workout feast of kiszka (a Polish sausage), tomatoes, sour oat bread, some fruit, and my favorite...pancakes with maple syrup and loads of butter! Yum!
Dinner started off with a Bombay Sapphire martini paired with Spanish olives. :~) After that, I settled in to some chicken salad with veggies, tortilla chips with homemade salsa, and an apple. Then came the ice cream! I loaded up a bowl and topped it with many layers of nuts and almond butter. Outstanding! Thankfully, there was no whipped cream in the house or it would've been toast! :-)
On a positive note, I definitely got my protein in for the day.
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